The digital divide in education: a bibliometric analysis

This study conducts a bibliometric analysis to investigate research trends in the digital divide in education, focusing on the development of academic works, the most prominent authors and institutions, and core themes. The analysis relies on data from the Scopus database, providing an extensive scope of academic sources across various fields. The search process retrieved studies from 1999 to 2025, focusing on keywords related to the digital divide, access to technology, and educational inequalities. The study indicates a significant increase in publications since 2016, with a pronounced growth following the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting the heightened concern for digital education disparities. The study highlights leading authors and institutions, particularly those in recognised scholarly communities, and emphasises the cross-field scope of the research, with research covering various academic disciplines. Additionally, the analysis traces changes in themes of the digital divide, with a growing focus on the socio-cultural, gender, and policy-related dimensions of digital inequality. The co-citation network indicates an interconnected research landscape, with leading researchers influencing discussions on digital inclusion and equity in education. The findings suggest the necessity of varied academic lenses, particularly in examining the prolonged effects of the digital divide and the impact of policy efforts aimed at reducing disparities.